Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American sin… Read Full Bio ↴Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number one hit in the United States. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, made him enormously popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate, just 42 years of age.

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, blues, and gospel, he is the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. He won three competitive Grammys, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame.

Singing Tree
Elvis Presley Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're the one who beckoned the wind
And fanned the flame when our love began
So don't pretend you don't know me
Our names are carved on you, singing tree

Oh singing tree
Sing to me
Call your friend

The roving wind
Maybe he can find my love
And bring her back, singing tree

Your leaves have turned from green to blue
Sometimes I think you loved her too
But since she left and our love died
You stand petrified, singing tree

Oh sing to me
Singing tree
Call your friend
The roving wind
Maybe he can find my love
And bring her back, singing tree

Oh sing to me
Singing tree
Call your friend

The roving wind
Maybe he can find my love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Singing Tree” by Elvis Presley & The Jordanaires revolve around the concept of a tree that holds memories within its branches. The song talks about how the tree had beckoned the wind and fanned the flame when the love between the two people began. The singer asks the tree not to pretend that it does not know him because their names are carved on the singing tree. The singing tree holds memories of the time when the couple was in love, and the singer hopes that it can call upon the roving wind to bring back his lost love.

The tree is said to have turned from green to blue, which could symbolize the way things have changed from being alive and vibrant to being calm and dull. The singer wonders if the tree had loved his partner too and expresses how everything changed after she left, and their love died. The tree remains petrified and unmoving, but it still holds memories of their love. The song ends with the singer appealing to the singing tree to call upon the roving wind to find his lost love and bring her back.

Line by Line Meaning

You're the one who beckoned the wind
You were the cause of our love, you brought the winds of change

And fanned the flame when our love began
You ignited the passion that started our love story

So don't pretend you don't know me
Don't act like you don't remember our love and the memories we shared

Our names are carved on you, singing tree
Our love is forever etched in your memory

Oh singing tree
Addressing the tree that represents their love story

Sing to me
Entreaty to the tree to share their love story

Call your friend
Requesting the tree to call the wind

The roving wind
Refers to the wind's freedom to roam as it pleases

Maybe he can find my love
Asking the wind to help find the love they lost

And bring her back, singing tree
Hoping that the wind will bring back their lost love and reignite their romance

Your leaves have turned from green to blue
The tree shows signs of sadness, as the loss of their love has affected it